Puff Ara Puffff

[Yervant1]

I will be in Yerevan July 1st. I will see if the garbage removal is really on...

Have a good time there, Boghos Jan!

 

Please take a big BROOM! if necessary use the handle to shove those sob's out of City Hall.

[Arpa]

Rat poison does wonders too

 

http://www.onebilliondolts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/RatPoison.jpg

[Boghos]

Rat poison does wonders too

 

http://www.onebilliondolts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/RatPoison.jpg

 

I hear rat poison import is forbidden in Armenia. I will inquire why.

[Boghos]

Have a good time there, Boghos Jan!

 

Please take a big BROOM! if necessary use the handle to shove those sob's out of City Hall.

 

Thank you, Yervant jan. I'll do my best.

[Arpa]

I hear rat poison import is forbidden in Armenia. I will inquire why.

 

The acme of absurdity and irony. At one time some rodenticides were banned because they "caused cancer in lab mice".

 

Here is Sip's hat;

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/8156827/2/istockphoto_8156827-cheese-mouse.jpg

Edited June 4, 2011 by Arpa

[Azat]

Boghos I will be there as well

[Yervant1]

NEPOTISM? - MP'S HIRE THEIR CHILDREN AS ASSISTANTS

Grisha Balasanyan

 

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/2278/

11:15, June 20, 2011

 

Months ago, I asked the Public Affairs Department at the RA National

Assembly to supply a list of names of the staff assistants for

the MP's.

 

I had noticed during my visits to the legislature that many MP's

were employing relatives on a paid basis while other young people

were registered as "social" servants.

 

I even asked a few MP's why they had chosen relatives to fill such

posts. A few were so taken aback with shame that they requested that

I not publish the names of their children so employed. They promised

that staff changes would be made.

 

But they proved cleverer than I could ever imagine. What the MP's

simply did is to register their children in the employ of fellow MP's.

 

No change was made in the type of employment registration.

 

For example, Prosperous Armenian Party (PAP) MP Arshak Mkhitaryan

sent his child to work for his friend, MP Grigori Margaryan, as

an assistant.

 

Assistants working on a salaried basis get 90,000 AMD [uS$240] per

month. I don't believe that the MP's need the money so badly that

they get their kids jobs as legislative assistants to help feed and

clothe their families.

 

Rafik Grigoryan, a Republican Party MP, got a job for his son as an

advisor/assistant with his buddy Samvel Nikoyan, Deputy President of

the National Assembly and also a Republican Party member.

 

MP Grigoryan likes to avail himself of all available government

budgetary possibilities.

 

Areg Ghukasyan, brother of former Artsakh President Arkady Ghukasyan,

has gotten a job for his son on a salaried basis with Gagik Minasyan,

President of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary

Affairs.

 

MP Ghukasyan is another legislator that really doesn't need the

salary. In 2009, he reported revenues of 354 million AMD [uS$944,000].

 

He owns several commercial enterprises including the Yerevan salt mine.

 

Another Republican Party MP, Gagik Melikyan, can count on the income

of his daughter, employed as his only assistant. Perhaps the family

actually needs the extra income. In 2009, Melikyan reported a paltry

3.6 million AMD [uS$9,600] in property and revenue.

 

MP Karineh Ajemyan also employs her daughter as an assistant. The

legislator told Hetq that the practice was legal and that, in any

event, her daughter is educated and well prepared to help out.

 

"I hired my daughter because she assists me and even works during

evening hours. She gets experience from working with me. It's a

win-win situation for both of us," said Ajemyan.

 

There's MP Vazgen Karakhanyan, who's also hired his daughter as a

personal assistant. Reporting only 3.5 million AMD [uS$9,333] in

income in 2009 it seems the family could use the extra cash.

 

PAP faction secretary Aram Safaryan has hired his son as his only

assistant.

 

There are MP's who hire their kids to work in the parliament not for

the money but rather for the "prestige".

 

MP Karo Karapetyan has two assistants, one being his daughter. MP

Manvel Badeyan, who also has no need for another income source,

nevertheless hired his daughter at 90,000 [uS$240] monthly.

 

Parliamentary assistants who work on a "public" basis also get paid

but their employment isn't included in any future pension calculations.

 

Only MP Viktor Dallakyan has hired his son on a public basis.

 

While some of the children hired by their daddy and mommy MP's actually

are good at their jobs, the question remains.

 

Is it all a case of nepotism?

[Arpa]

http://hetq.am/eng/news/2679/

 

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/2679.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/2679.jpg

 

 

Second only to Madagarcar? Where the h*ll is Madagascar? I know. Is it is in jehennemin jot@ next to (Timbuktu) Mali or Kamchatka?

Why are we compared to nd competing with the likes of Madagascar?

Is the president's name "gabigian"?

 

http://cdn.wn.com/pd/5f/95/83d4923e8d851a33ed6ac141ef93_grande.jpg

 

 

 

Forbes World’s Worst Economies -

11:15, July 6, 2011

Forbes magazine has come out with its “World’s 10 Worst Economies List” for 2011. Armenia ranks as the second worst economy, a notch above the island nation of Madagascar.

With a 15% contraction in GDP in 2009 and mediocre growth forecast for the next few years, this landlocked former Soviet republic is struggling to keep up with the rest of the world. Per-capita GDP of $3,000 is less than a third of neighboring Turkey, and with inflation running at 7%, Armenia’s citizens are getting poorer. GDP per capita: $2,959 Inflation: 7%

Forbes ranked 177 countries according to three-year average statistics for gross domestic product growth and inflation (including the IMF’s 2012 estimates), plus GDP per capita and the current account balance, a measure of whether the country is importing more than it exports.

Edited July 8, 2011 by Arpa

[Arpa]

RA-NA or AC?

 

Our Ugly Side? Yes, he is ugly!!

I had the urge to air this under the topic of Comedistan, but as you see it is not funny it is sad. Am I happy? Am I laughing?

Is it RA- NA, Republic of Armenia -National Assembly or is it AC- Assembly of Clowns?

Look at this clown. He has not attended even one session. How was he elected? Who voted for him? Will he be reelected? He may not be the only “clown” either.

 

Clown

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/2759.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/2759.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/2759/

 

MP Arzakantsyan Prefers Moscow Night Life to Parliamentary Drudgery

Levon Hayrapetyan

 

12:19, July 8, 2011

MP Tigran Arzakantsyan wasn’t present at the opening fall session of the Armenian National Parliament on September 14, 2010. Was he sick or detained by more urgent state business?

No. On that day Arzakantsyan was in Moscow attending the “Goodbye to Summer” party hosted by Svetlana Bondarchuk, Chief Editor of the Hello and Icons magazines.

During the fall legislative session from September to December, there were 183 votes on a variety of bills.

MP Tigran Arzakantsyan participated in not one. He then had the gall to turn in a “not fit for work” slip over to the parliamentary staff.

One wonders what was written on that doctor’s note saying that the MP was actually ill and in need of medical care.

Or maybe the physician advised MP Arzakantsyan, who also sits on the Republican Party Council, to take some time off from his busy schedule and relax; preferably by attending gala parties and soirees.

The caption under the photo above (Bondarchuk is the blonde on the left) reads – Svetlana Bondarchuk and Tigran “Czar” Arzakantsyan.

Better a “Czar” in Russia than a no-show MP in Armenia?

------

See the previous stories .

 

Where does one get the kind of zillion dollars to afford this?

That mansion alone is worth more than the entire annual budget of Armenia.

----

Paris mansion

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/05/1635.jpg

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/05/1635.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/1635/

 

Armenian MP Owns Posh Paris Villa

Levon Hayrapetyan

 

18:42, May 27, 2011

Levon Hayrapetyan

Seda Grigoryan

The villa shown here is located on a ritzy Paris street named after the French singer Maurice Chevalier. A little digging on our part shows that it belongs to RA National Assembly MP Tigran Arzakantsyan.

The villa, named Heritage, belongs to a firm called Almaz, which is registered under MP Arzakantsyan’s name.

Homes on the quiet street go from 1.5 to 2 million Euros.

MP Arzakantsyan is a no-show Armenian legislator, having been absent from 1,371 out of 1,630 parliament sessions. He only visits Armenia when there is personal commercial business to attend to.

The Mercedes parked outside the swanky villa carries Armenian license plates that have been tracked back to one Edik Arzakantsyan from the town of Gavar, Armenia.

Even more interesting is the fact that none of the financial disclosure statements submitted by the MP make any mention of the purchase of French real estate.

 

---

“Unique medical”? Is it to cut his organ above the neck or the one below the belt?

 

MP Arzakantsyan Undergoes "Unique" Medical Treatment in Paris

 

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/2011/

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/06/2011.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/06/2011.jpg

----

 

I have not packed my bags to move over. How about you?

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9rjK1yXqTJc/RllNo4RICnI/AAAAAAAAAxY/JIswDxhsSb4/s1600-h/No-Comment..jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9rjK1yXqTJc/RllNo4RICnI/AAAAAAAAAxY/JIswDxhsSb4/s1600-h/No-Comment..jpg

 

http://www.armenianow.com/sites/default/files/img/imagecache/600x400/migration_armenia.jpg

 

http://www.armenianow.com/sites/default/files/img/imagecache/600x400/migration_armenia.jpg

[Nané]

I have strong convictions against violence but the first thought that came to my mind was this - սրան պիտի բռնեն ու էնպես «զխկեն», որ իսկապես ի վիճակի չլինի ո՛չ ԱԺ-ի նիստերին ներկա գտնվելու, ո՛չ էլ առավել ևս վավաշոտ հայացքով ռուս «ծտերին» նայելով նկարվելու:

[Arpa]

Curruptsia Ecclesia?

And, we have the gall to speak about furks and asszeris desecrating our sacred monuments!!!

He must be too busy defrocking, which He has done half a dozen times in the past several months. All those defrocking stories don’t specify the reasons. Could it be political, that they speak up about the corruption in the Church? The de-frockings are moving faster than the en-frockings.

http://www.armtown.com/news/en/htq/20110328/201103281/

Where is Ms. Louise Simone Manoogian?

 

http://hetq.am/eng/news/3044/

Also read some of the indignant angry readers’ comments.

Here is one of many;

Ais catolicos tsaxoom e hazarner dollar ir dan shekeghootyan hamar, keshoomen mercedes benzer, shinoomen nor yegeghetsner, baits voch mi ban chen anoom hin yegeghetsiner bahbaneloo hamar. Na bidi herazharagan da, hagarag debkoom ishxanapoxootyan zhamank na bidi datvi yev band genal.

----

Catholicos Garegin on Sanahin - "I have nothing to do with churches or monasteries in the mountains"

14:49, July 19, 2011

According to a statement issued by the group "We Will Not Remain Silent", Samvel Karapetyan, who heads the Armenian Architecture Institute, recently asked Catholicos Garegin II if it wasn't possible to allocate a tiny portion of the money the Armenian Church uses to build new churches to improving conditions at the Sanahin Monastery.

The group claims that Karapetyan, in an interview with the Arm Info news website, stated that Catholicos Garegin II responded by saying – I have nothing to do with monasteries or churches up in the mountains.

"Logically, the church should be the first one to be concerned with the plight of religious structures. I won't even mention government agencies that should be interested to see that tress do not grow on the domes of churches," Karapetyan is to have said in the interview.

The Sanahin Monastery, a World Heritage site, has been in the news recently after the civic group released pictures showing shrubs and small trees growing on the church walls and dome.

 

http://hetq.am/eng/news/3009/

 

Observe more pictures and video;

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/3009.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/3009.jpg

Edited July 20, 2011 by Arpa

[MosJan]

jamanakin metsaharustner@ yekeghetsy eyin karrutsum, kam veranorogum... hima metsaharustner@ yekeghetsu shuinararutyan hashvin irents grpannern en ltsnum. uneskon veranorogman hamar $$$$ cher hatkatsrel ?? guce sxal em hishum ?

 

patradira drsits arvi ?? kam mi otar arab ga gumar hatkatsni ?? kam norits vivacel@ kam grand cendin tan. de lav eli

[Zartonk]

Եղբա՛յր, եթէ նորոքեն բա ո՞նց են բենթլի քշելու...

[ED]

Zartong jan dra hamarel tiflis baku en gnum eti qshelov, bayts Bentley che ayl, zaparojets!

[MosJan]

Curruptsia Ecclesia?

And, we have the gall to speak about furks and asszeris desecrating our sacred monuments!!!

He must be too busy defrocking, which He has done half a dozen times in the past several months. All those defrocking stories don’t specify the reasons. Could it be political, that they speak up about the corruption in the Church? The de-frockings are moving faster than the en-frockings.

http://www.armtown.c...0328/201103281/

Where is Ms. Louise Simone Manoogian?

 

http://hetq.am/eng/news/3044/

Also read some of the indignant angry readers’ comments.

Here is one of many;

 

----

 

 

http://hetq.am/eng/news/3009/

 

Observe more pictures and video;

http://hetq.am/stati...011/07/3009.jpg

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/3009.jpg

 

«Ես գործ չունեմ լեռներում գտնվող վանքերի և եկեղեցիների հետ». Կաթողիկոսի սենսացիոն հայտարարությունը Սանահինի խայտառակ վիճակի վերաբերյալ

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/3044.jpg14:49, 19 հուլիսի, 2011

Նախօրեին «Չենք լռելու» երիտասարդական նախաձեռնությունը հրապարակեց 1996 թվականից UNESCO-ի Համաշխարհային ժառանգության ցանկում գրանցված X դարի Սանահինի վանական համալիրի ներկայիս վիճակի մասին տեղեկատվությունը, լուսանկարներն և տեսանյութերը, որոնք բողոքի մեծ ալիք բարձրացրին Facebook սոցիալական ցանցում:

 

Ինչպես հաղորդվել էր երեկ, 15 ամիս առաջ ՀՀ վարչապետի խոստումը հուսադրել էր, թե ուր որ է` Սանահինը կփրկվի, սակայն սպասումները չարդարացան: Սրբատեղին այսօր կործանման եզրին է, նրա վանքերի ու մատուռների տանիքներին աճած թփերն ու ծառերը անտառ են հիշեցնում, ողջ տանիքը ծորում է:

 

Բարձրացված խնդիրը Հայկական հուշարձաններն ուսումնասիրող կազմակերպության նախագահ, պատմաբան Սամվել Կարապետյանը հասցրել է Ամենայն Հայոց Կաթողիկոսին և ստացել սենսացիոն պատասխան: Ինչպես հայտնել է Կարապետյանն ArmInfo գործակալությանը տված հարցազրույցում, նա առաջարկել է Գարեգին Բ-ին նոր եկեղեցիների կառուցման համար նախատեսված միջոցների թեկուզ մի մասն ուղղորդել Սանահինի խնդրի լուծմանը: Ի պատասխան`Կաթողիկոսը հայտարարել է, որ որևէ գործ չունի լեռներում գտնվող վանքերի և եկեղեցիների հետ:

 

«Պաշտամունքային կառույցները տրամաբանորեն ամենից առաջ պետք է մտահոգեին Եկեղեցուն: Էլ չեմ խոսում պետական կառույցների մասին, որոնք պետք է շահագրգռված լինեն, որ եկեղեցիների տանիքին ծառեր չաճեն»,- ասել է Կարապետյանն իր հարցազրույցում:

 

«Չենք լռելու» երիտասարդական նախաձեռնությունը հիրավի ցավ է ապրում, ընդ որում, ավելի շատ ոչ թե Սանահինի վանական համալիրի ողբալի վիճակի պատճառով, այլ այն բանի գիտակցումից, թե ո՞ւմ վրա էր դեռ նախօրեին հույս դրել սրբատեղին փրկելու հարցում:

 

Հիրավի, Կաթողիկոսն ի՞նչ գործ ունի սարերում հազարամյա պատմություն ունեցող, UNESCO-ի կողմից Համաշխարհային մշակութային ժառանգություն ճանաչված եկեղեցիների հետ: Նա գործ ունի միայն Երևանի կենտրոնում կառուցվող իր ապագա նստավայրի հետ: Եվ թող եկեղեցու սպասավորներն այլևս չզարմանան հասարակության մեջ իրենց առաջնորդի վարկանիշի խայտառակ ցածր լինելու հանգամանքից, ինչպես նաև թող այլևս երբեք չբողոքեն աղանդներից, քանզի հենց իրե՛նք են պարարտ հող ստեղծել դրանց ծաղկման համար: Սանահինի փրկության մասին հարցի պատասխանը դրա վառ ապացույցն է:

 

«Չենք լռելու» երիտասարդական նախաձեռնություն

 

 

[MosJan]

Diaspora Investors - Easy Prey for Armenia's Authorities?

 

Edik Baghdasaryan

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/07/2927.jpg14:30, July 14, 2011

"I'm going to throw all of you in prison"

 

These were the words uttered by tax investigator Rafael Mkrtichyan to Nareg Hartounian, a Lebanese-Armenian who founded the Naregatsi Art Institute.

 

Yes folks, here's yet another story of a diaspora Armenian investor being bullied by officials in Armenia – this time it's the dreaded State Revenue Committee.

 

A bit in the way of background info on this family and their activities:

 

The Naregatsi Art Institute was incorporated in 20002 as a non-profit organization. Its stated objective is to serve Armenia's existing cultural heritage through supporting Armenian contemporary artists and creating a forum in which the spirit of art and the common voice can resonate freely.

 

The Naregatsi Art Institute opened its doors to the public on September 5, 2004 and in Shushi on August 31, 2006. The Shushi branch was housed in a dilapidated building that was rebuilt. Both centers were accessible to the physically disabled. To date, over $2 million has been spent on the two art centers. (www.naregatsi.org).

 

With their own resources, the Haroutunian family carries out charitable projects in Yerevan, Shushi and Karvatchar.

 

They have constructed the Knaravan village (north of Karvatchar in the liberated territories) and have populated it with homeless families. It was named in honor of Knar Haroutunian, the family's deceased mother. The project's aim was to build houses for. The tiny community also has a school and a medical unit so that the 15 families can be provided with all the necessary living conditions. The project, costing $550,000, was completed in 2004. (www.knaravan.org)

 

During the years 2002-2010, the Haroutunian family has contributed over $3 million to charitable works in Armenia and Artsakh.

 

In September 2010, Nareg also became director of GH Storage Enterprises, a foodstuff importing business started by his father Garabed Haroutunian.

 

Before Nareg took over the reins of GH Storage Enterprises, the company's executive director was Sevak Artzruni and Artyom Martirosyan was the managing director. Artzruni ran the show and made all the decisions. The Haroutunian family lived in the U.S. and had close ties to the Sevak Artzruni family. It was Artzruni who ran the business for the Haroutunians.

 

It was the sudden falling out between Nareg Hartounian and Artzruni that prompted the company's warehouse manager to send off a letter to Armenian law enforcement, stating that the company was purposefully avoiding paying taxes.

 

The man who wrote the letter was Garik Babayan; the brother of Sevak Artzruni's wife. Nareg had fired Garik Babayan from his job two weeks after becoming executive director.

 

The Kentron and Nork Marash Administrative Court issued a search warrant for the company's premises. The court order said it was to search for goods not duly registered as inventory. The court claimed that 14 million AMD worth of goods were thus concealed out of an import order of 35 million.

 

The investigator in charge failed to note when such transactions were alleged to have taken place. Had he done so, it would turn out that it was during the tenure of Sevak Artzruni as executive director.

 

But I'm jumping the gun. Sevak Artzruni served as the legal representative (power of attorney) for the Haroutunian family since 2003. He purchased real estate for them.

 

GH Storage Enterprises was established in the name of Garabed Haroutunian and in 2009 he and his two sons, Nareg and Saro, signed a document obliging them to pay Sevak Artzruni 25% of their commercial profits derived in Armenia.

 

On September 23, 2010, Sevak Artzruni signed a document forgoing any further dealings with the Haroutunian family and annulling any prior obligations he had to them.

 

In the letter, Artzruni cited such factors as "a change in the Haroutunians' attititude and growing lack of confidence" as a reason for his pulling out of any and all contractual arrangements with the family.

 

Artzruni also mentioned that he expected to be paid the 25% in remuneration for services rendered.

 

Artzruni naturally failed to mention was the fact that Nareg has noticed that large amounts of cash had gone missing. He demanded some answers from Artzruni.

 

This is where the story gets more than a bit confusing and multi-layered. Everyone seems to have gotten involved – the courts, cops, tax authorities and a host of other characters.

 

In the end, Sevak Artzruni sues Garabed Haroutunian and his two sons, demanding that the court make them hand over the 25% profit owed him.

 

Sevak Artzruni walks around Yerevan flanked with bodyguards.

 

When he was the executive director of GH Storage Enterprises, Artzruni had the company pay the head of the Police Department’s Division of Personal and Property Protection for the bodyguards.

 

Photo: Nareg Hartounian (left) and Sevak Artzruni

 

 

[MosJan]

Italian adventures in Armenia

 

Edik Baghdasaryan, Lena Nazaryan

 

 

 

 

5:23, October 1, 2002

"Unfortunately, a country like Armenia, where the government is unable to restrain such astounding unlawfulness, has no future".

 

Armine Philipian (Pavia, Italy)

 

Marco Lionello, your wife Armine and H. Hovhannissian

 

The author of these lines is Armine Philipian, the wife of an Italian doctor, Marco Lionello. These citizens of Italy have for several years now found themselves in a maze in Armenia and there seems to be no way out. The Economic Disputes Tribunal of the Republic of Armenia is doing everything in its power to quickly complete the process of depriving Marco Lionello of his property - a store located at 4 Vardanants Street. The judges can't even imagine that Lionello, who has already prepared all the necessary documents to appeal to the European court, will prevail and that the government of Armenia will be obliged to pay large amounts of money. They can't yet imagine that their unlawful verdicts will burst, and, in the end they will be forced to retire for causing not only material but also moral damage to the state. "We are prepared to donate this store to anybody, even to the state. We are disappointed in Armenia and feel insulted. But we will do our utmost to prevent Hasmik Hovhannissian from becoming the owner of the store", said Armine Philipian during a telephone conversation. Lionello's representative, lawyer Hakob Andreassian says, "Judge Matevosian is interested in carrying out his groundless verdict and favors the other side. He wants Hasmik Hovhannissian to become the proprietor of the store located at 4 Vardanants Street. Mr. Lionello appealed to the Economic Disputes Tribunal of the Republic of Armenia to defer the execution of the verdict because the Hovhannissians committed felonious acts that deserve criminal prosecution". Under various pretexts, the court has not accepted for consideration either Lionello's or his representative's appeals, because in accordance with Article 22, point 2 of the Law on the Obligatory Execution of Writs, the court is obliged after receiving an appeal from one of the parties to reverse the execution of the court order. But Judge Matevosian must quickly finalize the deal of "ripping off" the Italians.

 

Marco Lionello and his wife Armine Philipian met Hasmik Hovhannissian in 1996 in the Italian city of Pavia. "Our friends told us that there was a student from Armenia, come and make her acquaintance. And we gladly went. She was in a strained financial situation. Her worn out shoes struck me first. And I told my husband that we must help her. We took her to our house. She became a family member. Wherever we went we took her with us. That was when, after we talked it over, my husband and I decided to open a store in Yerevan. And Hasmik would be our representative", recalls Philipian.

 

http://hetq.am/static/hetqold/h-1002-italy-2.jpgIn Yerevan, Lionello purchased the 160 square-meter premises at the address 4 Vardanants Street and converted it into a store. He authorized Hasmik Hovhannissian to manage the store. From 1996 to 1999, Lionello sent to Armenia goods worth $250,000 and about $100,000 in cash. He has kept all the documents. When Lionello asked Hasmik Hovanissian to send money for the goods sold in order to continue sending goods she began to make up different stories.

 

The Italian decided to decline Hovhannissian's services. She then went to court and presented documents alleging that the store was her property. But during the court proceedings, Hovhannissian abandoned her statement of claim. And now her father Telman Hovannissian has appealed to the court claiming that in accordance with a contract signed with Hasmik Hovhanissian in 1996, he undertook the job of repair work in the store at 4 Vardanants street at his own expense, on the condition that Marco Lionello, the proprietor of the store, would reimburse him for the cost of the work performed on August 12 1999. Telman Hovhannissian also informed the court that in order to meet the obligations of this contract, on June 3, 1996 he signed a sub-contract with the Gandzasar small enterprise in the amount of AMD 7,744,000. Over the course of time new construction work was done for which plaintiff Telman Hovhannissian spent a total of AMD 8 million. Because of the defendant's failure to carry out his obligations on time, and the devaluation of the Armenian Dram, the plaintiff suffered additional losses of AMD 3,163,000. As a result, the plaintiff asked the court to recover from the defendant AMD 11,908,000. The court granted Telman Hovannissian's appeal. The Civil and Economic Chamber of the Court of Appeal left the decision of the Economic Disputes Tribunal in force. The court decided to put the Vardanants Street store up for auction in order to seize this amount from Lionello. The mandatory executors will put the store up for auction on October 8, 2002 to return the money to Telman Hovhannissian. In reality, Hasmik Hovhannissian hopes to take possession of the store in this way.

 

The lawyer deceived the Italians as well

 

The Italian citizens are disappointed because they were also deceived by their representative, Armen Ter-Tachatian, who had defended their interests in court since January 2001. "For eight months Armen Ter-Tachatian lied to us, alleging that we had won the suit for $49,000 in damages", says Philipian. " Marco was the first to realize that Armen was working for the other side. We paid Armen Ter-Tachatian $24,800 between October 1999 and last summer. But later it became clear that he had deceived us. Hasmik destroyed all the documents on the goods sent in 1998-1999. I don't know, perhaps the tax department doesn't have these documents, or perhaps they did not register these goods, but we have all the papers on what we sent. We have also obtained documents proving that the goods entered Armenia. This means that Hasmik sold the products in the store without registration to avoid paying taxes and other dues to customs and tax authorities. We appealed to the Office of the Prosecutor to bring a suit against her. I am outraged by the justice system in Armenia. However, I will defend my interests outside your country. The justice there is not Armenian." Philipian.

 

Counterfeited documents as the base for the verdict

 

According to documents presented to court, the repair work was performed by the Gandzakar - 1 small enterprise and by private entrepreneur Samvel Mkrtchian. Gandzakar - 1 is not registered at the State Registry. Entrepreneur Samvel Mkrtchian is not registered either. Someone forged these documents. The court's task is to clear up this question as well. If the business is not registered at the State Registry, how did the court arrive at a verdict that hinged on these documents? The fact that Marco Lionello paid the money for the repair work is confirmed by Hasmik Hovhannissian's handwritten letters to Marco Lionello and by payment orders (statements) of the Midland Armenia bank.

 

There is something else that proves that that Hasmik Hovhannissian is capable of forgery. We have in our possession a letter from Artavazd Serapian, chairman of the Stefano Serapian Fund (the fund renders assistance to the poor and to beggars). Attached to the letter is a certificate stating that the Fund twice rendered assistance to Hasmik Hovhannissian, born in Leninakan, in accordance with her written request. The first time in 1996 in sum of 1,200,000 Italian Liras, the second time - 2,800,000 Italian Liras. In her written request Hovannissian asked for assistance as a resident of Leninakan and a victim of the 1988 earthquake. We must point out that Hasmik Hovhanissian was born in the village of Teghenik in the Kotayk marz. Her place of residence is Yerevan.

 

To be continued.

 

 

 

 

[MosJan]

Italian Adventures in Armenia 2

 

Edik Baghdasaryan, Lena Nazaryan

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2002/10/2138.jpg15:25, October 5, 2002

Based on the judgment of the Economic Disputes Tribunal of the Republic of Armenia, the store located at 4 Vardanants owned by Italian citizen Marco Lionello Street will be put up for auction on October 8, 2002. Judge A. Matevosyan of the Economic Disputes Tribunal has refused to accept appeals by Lionello lawyer Iveta Badalian.

 

In her appeal, the lawyer requested that execution of the judgment be deferred for three months. "I find that that the appeal presented must be returned on the following grounds: The originals of the evidence confirming the grounds for the request, as well as the power of attorney signed by Marco Lionello, are not attached to the appeal, and the copies presented are not notarized in accordance with the requirements of the Articles 54 and 88 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia" Judge Matevosyan wrote.

 

"This is the third time Judge Matevosyan has returned our appeals with groundless explanations and refused to institute court proceedings. The explanation for returning the appeal is that I have not presented evidence confirming the grounds for the appeal, the original of the power of attorney is not attached to the appeal, and the copy presented is not properly notarized. These claims are completely baseless since I presented a copy of the statement sent to the Office of the Prosecutor General and to the Ministry of National Security. If the court did not consider the fact of presenting the request to be credible, than that issue should have been resolved during an actual court hearing, and until the actual court hearing, the judge is obliged to suspend execution of the judgment. As for the power of attorney not being presented in the required way, I presented Judge Matevosyan with the original copy of the power of attorney, which he approved. A copy of the power of attorney was attached to the appeal," lawyer Iveta Badalian says.

 

When he learned of the Economic Disputes Tribunal's refusal to accept the appeal, Mr. Lionello, in Italy, faxed the appeal with his signature to the Italian Embassy here, asking the embassy to present it to the court. Italian Ambassador Paolo Andrea Trabalza sent a letter requesting that the court accept the appeal of Italian citizen Marco Lionello. The appeal and attached letter from the ambassador were delivered to the court by Marat Mnatsakanian, an officer of the consular division of the embassy.

 

"At the court I was told that they couldn't accept this fax as it was not the original, but it was the original, received by the fax at the embassy," Mr. Mnatsakanian told us.

Mr. Lionello was forced to send the appeal by a special delivery service, with identification documents, copies of two passports and his signature attached. The court, however, remained firm; Movsesyan still would not bend, he did not accept the appeal.

 

Executors of justice violate several legal requirements

 

On August 20, 2002 the Economic Disputes Tribunal decided to implement its decision on the same day, and on August 29th it sent a letter to Marco Lionello saying that within ten days of receiving the final judgment he must abide by the demands of the court, and inform the court, otherwise his entire Yerevan store would be subject to confiscation. Without checking if a reply had been received from Lionello, the court took a decision on September 19 on the obligatory liquidation of the seized property.

 

"Before then, September 19th, they sent a memo informing Lionello that an inventory of store merchandise had been taken. In fact, the process had begun before the decision to sell the property was made. The decision to liquidate the confiscated property was made at the direction of the creditor, who claimed that as the debtor had no other property or income, the store at 4 Vardanants should be subject to confiscation. The Hovhanessian's goal is to own the 4 Vardanants store, so that's why the store is going to be confiscated as well," says Iveta Badalian.

 

Marco Lionello, in addition to his property and income in Italy, owns a store in Gyumri valued at $30,000.

 

On October 8th Lionello's 160-square meter property at 4 Vardanants Street is to be put up for auction. It is valued at 11,439,00 dram (approx. $19,722). But Lionello paid $46,000 for the store in 1996. How the real estate company managed to put such a low price on a perfectly renovated store in the center of town would be hard to understand if we weren't about to find out who will become the store's new owner.

 

"We aren't publishing the new owner's name for the time being, the law doesn't allow us to publish 'confidential information' that could disrupt the 'honesty and fairness' of the auction. According to an appraisal done by the Kaloria Real Estate Agency last September, the minimum value of the store is the dram equivalent of $41,500. In a letter dated September 19, 2002, the executor announced that the auction was set for October 8, 2002, in violation of Article 464 of the Civil Code of Armenia, on the timing and procedure of conducting auctions," Badalian says.

 

No public announcement of the auction has been made, as required by law. And the reason the executors of justice put this particular property of Lionello's up for auction is part of a scenario planned in advance. There is a memo included in the court's decision that states that Lionello has no other property in Armenia, yet he presented the ownership papers of his store in Gyumri. Article 44 of the Law on Services to Insure the Execution of Judgments states "the debtor has the right to propose the order in which his property is seized." But the executors were instructed to follow the orders they had received. The chain must be complete; there cannot be any weak links. The structure is sound and the system functions perfectly. You can't fight "justice" in Armenia.

 

I don't think political steps will be necessary

 

We were also interested to know how Italian Ambassador Paolo Andrea Trabalza defended the rights of a citizen of his country.

 

"It is not acceptable that everything is fine on the political level, but problems arise in the economic field. In Armenia, where the Italian model of small business is admired, something like this took place. What happened to the Italian citizen seems clear. The Italian side made some investment in Armenia, aiming on the one hand to make a profit, and on the other to help Armenia create jobs. If in this case as well the Armenian court system punished the Italian investor, it is not the first time. The first was the story connected with the Italian restaurant. This can become very dangerous, and it will have a boomerang effect on Armenia. Here the situation is different, they are attempting to cheat an Italian investor. I appeal to the Armenian side, which is a shareholder along with the Italian investor- let them be satisfied with what they have already gotten. And let them not get carried away by their desires.

 

In general, the more lawyers are involved in the case, the more money will be spent. It would have been better if the two sides had gotten together and found a peaceful way out. Lionello appealed to us only recently. At the time, the Italian chose to solve his problems in the Armenian courts. We can see that the facts are very clear. Having no reason to suspect the representatives of the Armenian court system, I don't think political steps will be necessary. We must, in fact, appeal to the highest bodies. We hope that publications in the press will have more influence than our appeals."

 

To be continued.

 

P.S. After the publication of "Italian Adventures in Armenia" Telman Hovhanessian, one of the plaintiffs, visited Aravot's editorial office and presented a letter and some documents refuting the facts described in the article. These will be published, and we will certainly discuss them.

 

P.P.S. On October 8th the160-square meter property at 4 Vardanants Street owned by Italian citizen Marco Lionello was put up for auction. After a brief bidding session it was sold. We met with the buyer, Derenik Harutiunyan, after the auction. He is indeed a lucky man, for with no difficulty at all he has just bought a perfectly renovated store in the center of town for $18,500 (Lionello paid $46,000 for the store in 1996). He says he is a businessman, engaged in trade, and has now decided to operate a store in Yerevan. We have found out who the real owner of the store is, but for the time being we will refrain from making it public.

 

 

[MosJan]

Italian Adventures 3 - 4

 

Edik Baghdasaryan

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2002/11/2186.jpg09:40, November 4, 2002

Telman Hovhannessian visited Aravot's editorial office with a letter and some documents refuting the facts in our articles. We are not publishing his refutation because all facts printed in our article were correct, except for one, for which we apologize to Hasmik Hovhannessian. She was not born in the village of Teghenik in the Kotaik Marz, where she owns a private house, but in Leninakan (Gyumri).

 

Among the documents Telman Hovhannessian presented, we find especially interesting the act written by Experts of the First Class of the Main Inspection Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economics Petrossian and Arshakian. This department was requested by the Prosecutor General's office to conduct a review of documents pertaining to the relationship between Armenian citizen Silva Hovhannessian (Telman Hovhannessian's second daughter) and Italian citizen Marco Lionello between 1997 and 1999.

 

Examining these documents, the first class experts found, "The copies of invoices of the Italian ITTIERE factory presented by the prosecutor's office are comparable to the originals presented at the appeals court."

 

The invoices in question record three shipments of merchandise to Armenia. According to four invoices dated February 4, 1999, 179 items in 21 packages of 78 kilograms each, with a total value of $11,767, were sent from this factory to the 4 Vardanants store in Yerevan, in Lionello's name. This shipment went through customs at Zvartnots Airport and was picked up by Telman Hovhannissian. The customs value of the shipment was $3542.

 

The customs dossier under review by the prosecutor's office contained no factory invoices, so the customs value was calculated using the imported goods exchange rate in accordance with Government Decision 615 made on December 6, 1993.

 

Moreover, it's significant that the customs values are lower than the prices in the factory invoices. For example, according to the invoice, the price of a pair of pants is $60, and on the customs declaration it's $31. A pair of shoes is $93 on the invoice and $25 on the customs declaration. Skirts are $54 on the invoice, and $15 on the customs declaration. Thus, the first shipment left the factory with a value of $11,767, which during the customs process became $3542. The difference is $8225. For the second shipment, the numbers are as follows: Factory value--$9913, customs value - $2727, difference - $7186.

 

The most interesting part of the review is that the experts who discovered these facts concluded, "Thus the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Armenia performed customs procedures in accordance to the law."

 

By the way, when lawyers looked at the results of this review they said they contained sufficient grounds for criminal charges.

 

Everything was done so that first-class experts could come to a first-class conclusion, placing everything within the framework of the law. Customs officials are honest and true, and it's out of patriotism that they decrease the value of imported goods three or four times. For which, in return, they win praise and prizes, build houses and buy luxury cars…

 

We have in our possession a number of hand-written letters from Hasmik Hovhannissian to Armine Philipian in Italy that lead us to draw some conclusions, and to understand how the whole story came down on Lionello's head, and why he can't get out of this Armenian labyrinth. Here are some excerpts from the letters:

 

"Hello Marco, Armine, Eliza, and Robert, I impatiently await your arrival…First of all, I spoke to the appropriate people and made a plan that Marco, when he comes, should go to the notary office and should give his consent to become a member of our cooperative and get full power to act in Italy on behalf of our cooperative. And our cooperative has the right to trade with any country and to have stores in any part of Armenia to sell its merchandise. If the cooperative buys merchandise and sells it in our stores, it pays the state 16.6% of the sales price of the merchandise, which is a very high percentage. That's why it's necessary to value these items as low as possible, and secondly, to write down a lower quantity, and naturally, it will be impossible to put price tags on items in the store windows, since they'll be sold at one price, but declared much lower…And as for profit, we can't show it all, because I was told by the tax department that trade with a foreign country is never profitable, because the taxes are too high.

 

"Armine, I took an apartment for you, I noted it on the map, it's right on Abovian Street. It's not a bad place, the only problem is that it's only for a month-that's why it was difficult and a little expensive-I paid $450 for the apartment and $150 to the broker that found the place.

 

"There's hardly any time left, you're coming soon and we'll talk about everything, we'll do everything the way Marco wants. I'll start the renovation [on Marco Lionello's 4 Vardanants store] next Monday. I need to buy all the construction materials to start the renovation right away…"

 

This letter was written in 1996. We found out that Hasmik Hovhannissian paid the realtor (Armen) $300 in rent and broker's fees for the Abovian Street apartment. She took $600 from Armine Philipian….

 

Representing Marco Lionello, lawyer Iveta Badalian informed law enforcement agencies, "After reviewing the documents of the case, and documents presented to me by Lionello, I have come to the conclusion that there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the actions of Telman, Hasmik and Silva Hovhannissian, in accordance with Article 89, Clause 4 of the Criminal Code." Lionello's lawyer believes that the Hovhannissians must be brought to justice. Documents in her possession and documents sent to us from Italy permit us to draw well-founded conclusions. There are forged documents and letters handwritten by Hasmik that help us solve this puzzle and uncover the chain of illegal acts in the case of "ripping off" the Italian. This is a classic example of the participation of state agencies in illegal activity with abuse of power, protection, forgery, shadow economy, deal-making lawyers and biased judges.

 

Let's look at three incidences of forgery:

 

1) Two different official records, with the same date, of the founding meeting of the cooperative Druzhba Narodov. The chairman of the cooperative is Hasmik Hovhannissian.

2) Excerpts from the official record of a meeting of Hovtel trade industrial cooperative dated January 5, 2000. A decision was made at the meeting to change the name of the cooperative from Druzhba Narodov to Hovtel. The record states that Marco Lionello participated in the meeting. But Marco Lionello visited Armenia only once, in 1997.

3) The forged signature of Marco Lionello on the last page of the statutes of the Hovtel cooperative registered by the Ministry of Justice (registration #01A-002341)

 

This evidence was never examined.

 

According to the decision of the Economic Disputes Tribunal dated July 9, 2002, Marco Lionello was ordered top pay 11,908,330 Dram to Telman Hovhannissian, and 174,800 Dram in state fees. The court ignored the explanations and protests of Lionello's representative at the time, Armen Ter-Tachatian. Furthermore, the court neglected to examine evidence presented in the case, in particular letters sent by Hasmik Hovhannissian to Lionello's wife Armine Philipian. These letters prove that the 4 Vardanants store, the renovation, and all merchandise were bought with Lionello's money. Hasmik Hovhannissian sent Philipian financial records in her own handwriting regarding all payments made. Here is an excerpt from one such letter:

 

"In 1996, merchandise was sold totaling $2695, which I used to renovate the store. Expenditures for renovation came to $16,000. Marco gave me $43,000, $35,400 of which we used to buy the store. Of the remaining $7664, I paid $1000 to customs when I received the shipment in the summer, and paid $265 for salaries and electricity, leaving $6395…"

 

"It doesn't matter that much what price is written in the sales contract for the store, Hasmik either kept the difference herself, or made a deal directly with the owner. If the Economic Disputes tribunal looked at those letters, and came to the decision it did, it means the court had its own interest. It put everything aside and made a decision that was not based in the facts," says lawyer Iveta Badalian. Then the Executors of Court Orders made the rip-off complete.

 

Executor Kniazian made the decision to begin the execution process, and sent a memo in Armenian to Marco Lionello in Italy demanding the fulfillment of the court order, otherwise the 4 Vardanants property would be subject to confiscation as well. Without receiving a response from Lionello, and without checking whether a response had been sent, the executors set up an appraisal of the store. According to the Law on the Conduct of Executors of Court Orders, property is to be appraised according to market prices on the day the order is issued, and any disagreement or objection by either of the sides is subject to expert evaluation. Article 53 states that the executor has the right to appoint an expert to appraise the property, first, when the appraisal of certain objects presents a difficulty, and second, if either the creditor or the debtor contests the appraisal of the executor.

 

"During the appraisal, the executor must get the cadastre value of the property from the cadastre agency, and determine the selling price. With all of this in mind, the executor requested an expert appraisal, of which he was obliged to inform the parties, who had the right to raise questions. It is specified in the Code of Civil Court Proceedings that in the event of an expert appraisal, both parties have the right to raise questions or present objections, and to participate in the appraisal process. It is unknown what kind of methodology the expert applied, because although court records show the cost of the renovation as $20,000, the 160-square meter store in the center of the city was valued at only $20,500. This is nonsense. Either the expert was incompetent, or he committed fraud. The starting price of similar properties in the center of Yerevan is $600 per square meter. The expert first of all should have considered the construction value, the land value, and determined the market value of similar properties, looking at other announcements and offers," continues Badalian.

 

It is not hard to understand why the executors work with experts like these. These experts are "in the pocket", ordered to appraise a property at a certain value because they know in advance who the buyer will be. In this case the expert was Zh. Tsatoulian, leading expert at the Expert Center of the Ministry of Justice. Hasmik Hovhannissian's bother Samvel also works at the Ministry of Justice. He heads the Department of Execution of Court Orders.

 

Says Iveta Badalian, "Even if we accept that the Economic Disputes Tribunal made a fair decision, then thanks to the work of the executors, a store with a minimum value of $50,000 was taken from Lionello for $20,000. $30,000 was snatched from his hands as a result of wrongdoing by court executors and experts."

 

To be continued.

 

 

[MosJan]

iy iy iy iy i.......

[Anoushik]

Since when did Armenians become such criminals against each other? What a shame.

 

 

Mosjan, the story is from 2002? Do you have an update?

[MosJan]

no anushik jan thsi si all i can find at hetq

 

http://hetq.am/eng/search/?q=Italian+Adventures+

[MosJan]

 

Ճանապարհային ոստիկանության Երևանի համար 3 հաշվառման քննական բաժնի աշխատակիցը քաղաքացուն առանց քննություն հանձնելու, կարճ ժամկետում վարորդական իրավունքի վկայական տալու համար 180 000 դրամ կաշառք է պահանջել: Ասյա Ավագյանը գումարը ստացել է ու վարկյաններ անց զարմացել, աշխատասենյակում տեսնելով ԿՀԴՊՎ(kազմակերպված հանցավորության դեմ պայքարի գլխավոր վարչության) աշխատակիցներին: Տեսանյութ`

[Harut]

 

Ճանապարհային ոստիկանության Երևանի համար 3 հաշվառման քննական բաժնի աշխատակիցը քաղաքացուն առանց քննություն հանձնելու, կարճ ժամկետում վարորդական իրավունքի վկայական տալու համար 180 000 դրամ կաշառք է պահանջել: Ասյա Ավագյանը գումարը ստացել է ու վարկյաններ անց զարմացել, աշխատասենյակում տեսնելով ԿՀԴՊՎ(kազմակերպված հանցավորության դեմ պայքարի գլխավոր վարչության) աշխատակիցներին: Տեսանյութ`

 

ես անձամբ ոչմեկի չեմ ճանաչում, որ քննություն հանձնած լինի...

[MosJan]

Armenian Attacks Estonia's Defence Ministry; Is Killed by Police

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2011/08/3560.jpg13:59, August 12, 2011

A gunman, identified as an Armenian, opened fire inside Estonia's Defense Ministry and tried to take hostages on Thursday, but he apparently was shot and killed by police who stormed the building, an official said.

 

The Sofia News Agency Novinite.com reports that the man was identified as 55-years-old Karen Drambjan, a member of the United Left Party of Estonia. Earlier reports had it that he was shouting in Russian while carrying out the attack.

 

The attacker entered the ministry in downtown Tallinn at midday, threw a smoke bomb, fired shots and tried to kidnap two employees, but police quickly evacuated the building and officers wearing bulletproof gear entered it, officials said.

 

Defense Minister Mart Laar was not there at the time, ministry spokesman Hannes Kont told The Associated Press.

 

The attacker who took two hostages at the Ministry of Defense of Estonia before taking his own life was a member of party defending the interests of part of the Russian minority in the country, according to Estonia's Prosecutor's Office.

 

The Prosecutor's Office, quoted by RIA Novosti, refuted earlier reports that the attacker was a former Estonian military affected by recent reductions in the numbers of the army.